What can I do to restore neutral handling?

[JonnyOg]

Hey so I'm not really happy with the handling of my car anymore. I'm tired of it understeering at the limit.
Currently my car has:
ST springs, which are apparently around h&r race stiffness and drop
Bilstein sports
14.5m rsb
m3 offset CABs
square tire setup

I'm looking into camber plates for upfront but are there other solutions?

[AndrewBird]

Bigger sway bar in the rear would help.

[chance]

I have pretty much the same setup as you.

After I installed all of that+ e36 rack, the car really pushed through turns. Didnt get a chance to align it.

After I installed camber plates and an adjustable subframe that I got from a friend, the car handled muuuch better. I still havent got it aligned yet, I just used the same positions that he used on his car. I will get it aligned one day though.

[BoxDriver86]

+1 on the rear sway and x2 on the camber. Once you get your parts on, find a really good alignment guy with a Hunter aligment system. Tell him what your car is doing and what adjustments you have. You'll be much happier.

[Emre]

You need swaybars and negative camber up front.

[george graves]

I start with the basics.

Do a suspension overhaul, then an alignment. Or at least an alignment. That would rule out a lot.

[10Toes]

Put all new original suspension back in.

[JonnyOg]

Yea this is after a suspension overhaul alllll the bushing and ball joints are brand new. Also running a z3 rack. And I've already had an alignment but it is only toe adjustments until I get an adjustable subframe and camber plates.

[bastianshaw]

ST springs arent that stiff. A larger rear sway , and half a degree toe out, also add a couple lbs of air to the rear tires and take a couple out the front if you havent already done so

[agent]

...an alignment...would rule out a lot.

[chance]

^Hes had an alignment already

[10Toes]

OP, What are you doing when you get understeer?

[Stanley Rockafella]

OP, What are you doing when you get understeer?

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=290691

[Holland]

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=290691

Bwahahaha!

OP, camber/caster plates are a must. Start there and you should get your results.

My car is amazingly neutral and all I have is an M3 bar in the rear. Thing is, I have full range of adjustable alignment front and rear, so less camber in back, more up front, high caster, and almost zero toe.

[BlackbirdM3]

First off, good tires, second, camber on the front tires, you likely want at least -2 degrees, and I'd steer clear of toe unless you wish to wear the insides of your tires out quickly (I run -2.75 degrees camber, 0 toe and about 10 degrees caster on my M3) The rear anti-sway bar may or may not be a good idea. Those can make the back end overly stiff and induce oversteer. If you do upsize the bars, do both. I still have the sock ones on my M3 and its very neutral with fantastic turn in, as well as transition control (bring on the slaloms!) Yes, I can step the back end out on corner exit, but its very easy to catch. I'm running H&R race springs.

If you are out canyon carving, first, learn how to drive the car. Go do some autocross events and schools. Those are safe places to learn the limits of the car, and to rid yourself of bad habits (The guy who rolled the M3 off the cliff was a horrible driver.) such as trail braking (there is a time and place for that however) and early apexing. (The saying slow in, fast out applies here, you don't want the early apex result of fast in, dead out.) I had a perfect case in point on Sunday at an autoX. A guy in an E39 M5 thought he was hot stuff, but couldn't figure out why his times were so slow. I was out on course shooting pictures (I'm the club photographer as well as an instructor). After shooting everyone in the run group I went and found the guy, rode with him for his last couple runs and gave him some tips (mostly, slow down to speed up and late apex the corners.) He listened to what I had to say and after doing 4 more fun runs, he found 5 seconds over his best timed run. 5 seconds is huge on a 50 second course. He was overdriving the car (as was the case in the video) and while he thought he knew what he was doing, he quickly found out that he really didn't. I hope the guy comes back for the next event since he did make some big gains after I gave him some simple pointers.

Seriously, learn the limits of the car and how to drive the car in a safe for everyone environment. Its better for everyone. Don't get me wrong, I've been known to roost some back roads myself, but I never ever cross the centerline, and I always have the car slowed down enough to get out of any trouble I might come across on the back side of a blind corner. You never know what might be on the back side (big rock, another car, a person, a cow, or a cop...) I don't want to ever take someone else out, and I certainly don't want to be taken out by someone else (because if I do live, and I can walk, they better wish they are dead because I'll kick their ass. I'm sick of other people destroying my cars and having to deal with the headache of fighting the insurance over it. )

Be smart, be safe,
Will